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In the wake of Prabowo Subianto’s landslide victory in Indonesia’s presidential election on 14 February, many are waiting with trepidation to see whether Prabowo’s background as a hardline army general in Suharto’s New Order dictatorship means he can be trusted to leave Indonesia’s democratic institutions undisturbed.
They are right to worry. But it is noteworthy that Prabowo’s long-awaited victory came only after he moderated the tough-guy persona and embrace of militarist symbolism that marked his earlier political career….